This invention relates to underpants having a vertically enlarged waistband, part of which can be folded down outside the waistband of the outer garment (e.g., pants, jeans, shorts or skirt) to display markings, such as an advertisement.
It has become fashionable among some people to wear underpants with the top portion exposed above the waistband of the outer garment for the lower torso and legs (e.g., pants or skirt). It the outer garment is worn with its waistband at a conventional position on the person's body, this fashion innovation requires the wearer to raise the underpants to a position that may well cause discomfort. In addition, in the case of one style of knit underpants for men, if raised enough to be exposed above the waistband of the outer garment the underpants may be so tight on the wearer as to possibly cause a reduction in the sperm count.
The present invention addresses the problem of provided the desired underpants exposure without subjecting the wearer to discomfort or related problems by providing a waistband with a enlarged vertical width that enables it to be readily folded down over the outside of the outer garment so as to be visible there without requiring the wearer to raise the underpants beyond the normal position preferred by the wearer.
In the prior art, garments with special, wider than usual waistbands had them for different purposes entirely, and therefore would teach nothing toward the solution of the problems addressed by the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,842 to Schaefer, a pair of outer pants has two waistbands, the inner one of which may either be tucked down out of sight or raised to an exposed position projecting above the top edge of the outer waistband.
In Kleinman U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,244, a pair of firefighter's trousers has a waist section that can project several inches above the belt line for body support when the wearer is actively engaged, or can be folded down outside the belt tunnel on the trousers for more comfort during a "cool down" period.
In Atwater et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,100, a wide, tight-fitting, elastic waistband on a set of man's athletic undershorts provides compressive support for the abdomen, a purpose that would be substantially negated if the waistband were folded down over the outside of the outer garment.